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Each skill has its own skill level which is expressed as a percentage. Skill levels can be raised by spending skill points earned from gaining experience levels, or by reading specific books.

As a skill's level increases, raising the skill further costs more skill points per percentage point. If statically (taking temporary effects aside, such as those of chems), the skill is at 99% or less, raising it (by 1 or 2 percentage points --- see below) costs 1 skill point; if the skill is at some value between 100% and 124% (inclusive), raising it (by 1 or 2 percentage points) costs 2 skill points; the full table of costs is:

negative costs 1 skill point to raise

0% to 99% costs 1 skill point to raise

100% to 124% costs 2 skill points to raise

125% to 149% costs 3 skill points to raise

150% to 174% costs 4 skill points to raise

175% to 199% costs 5 skill points to raise

200% to 299% costs 6 skill points to raise

By spending skill points or reading books, a skill cannot be raised if its increased level would be above 300%. However, the level can exceed 300% temporarily, for example, as a result of using chems; and even statically, for example, as a result of choosing perks at the right time.

An act of raising a skill in exchange for the appropriate amount of skill points --- according to the above table --- increases the skill's level by 2 percentage points if the skill is tagged, and by 1 percentage point otherwise. The appropriate amount of skill points must be available for this. There are no partial percentage points at partial costs.

Notice that if a skill is tagged and is at 299%, then the skill cannot be raised, not even to 300%. Also notice that, for example, if a skill is tagged and is at 149%, then raising the skill to 151% costs 3 skill points.

Like perks, skill points can be left unspent and will remain, to be spent later. This could conceivably be useful in the event of a hurdle in the game of unknown type that would prevent further progress, e.g. a locked door. More than 99 skill points can be saved up, even though the counter fails to visually indicate whether more than 99 skill points are available.

SPECIAL stats modify skills with a considerable bonus. The game keeps track of this bonus throughout the game, in real time. Any changes to stats, (e.g. chem effects, aftereffects and addiction effects) during the game add to or subtract from this modifier.